2020 News and Media Releases
2019 News and Media
DEC. 8, 2020
Forestland can be a source of investment
returns, enjoyment, or both, spread over decades. It’s
an investment like no other. And if you own, or want to
own, a piece of Alabama’s beautiful forests, you need to
know the consulting foresters in your area.
In Calhoun County, a good man to know is Tom Brickman,
president of Cyprus Partners, who has been helping
people buy, sell, and manage rural land for more than 40
years. As a registered forester (second generation),
real estate broker, and timberland owner himself, he’s
uniquely positioned to help people find land to suit
their needs or a buyer for their timber. He also has
sweeping knowledge of the industry to advise landowners
on meeting their goals.
Timberland can provide both enjoyment and investment
return for landowners, but it doesn’t happen by magic.
Consulting foresters like Tom help Alabama landowners
manage their resources so that land ownership remains
financially sustainable, and this keeps those forests
growing and re-growing across generations.
The Alabama Forest Owners Association (AFOA) developed a
search tool to connect landowners with consulting
foresters in their area. Family forest owners can visit
ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting foresters by
county, a free service made possible by a grant from the
Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Trust.
###
NOV. 17 2020
If the Midwest is America’s breadbasket, you might call
Alabama part of the wood basket. Southern Yellow Pine is
a foundational part of the homebuilding industry, among
others, and Alabama grows a lot of trees—approximately
70% of the state is forested. Consulting forester
Stephan Tomlinson helps landowners in North Alabama
manage their tree-based assets.
Tomlinson is a second-generation forester with Growing
Assets, LLC, and also helps Alabamians buy and sell
forestland as head of Natural Resources Group.
Responsible forestland owners are growing—and regrowing—Alabama’s
forests every day, and Tomlinson has the expertise to
help the private landowners who own the majority of
Alabama’s timberlands manage their land in a way that’s
financially and environmentally sustainable.
The Alabama Forest Owners’ Association (AFOA) considers
local forestry firms like Stephen Tomlinson’s Natural
Resources Group key resources for the thousands of
private forest landowners in Alabama. For that reason,
AFOA developed a search tool to connect landowners with
consulting foresters in their area. Family forest owners
can visit ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting
foresters by county, a free service made possible by a
grant from the Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural
Resources Extension Trust.
###
OCT. 26 2020
Although we all need things like lumber and toilet
paper, not everyone is aware that Alabama’s family-owned
forestland is a vital part of getting that TP out to
households. Approximately 70% of the state is forested,
of which 93% is owned by private landowners, primarily
regular Alabamians who try to manage their forests
sustainably and wisely. Consulting foresters at Cliff A.
Logan & Associates, based in Eutaw, have been helping
landowners manage Alabama forests for two generations.
Tony and Jim Logan grew up around and in the woods with
their father, and the firm prides itself on handling a
full range of forestry services for their clients. Tony
is a registered forester, while Jim has a business
degree and real estate license, and both are licensed
appraisers. From buying land to selling timber, the
Logans’ services help make it possible for Alabama’s
forests to keep growing—and regrowing—in a healthy and
sustainable way.
The Alabama Forest Owners’ Association (AFOA) considers
local forestry firms like Cliff A. Logan & Associates
key resources for the thousands of private forest
landowners in Alabama. For that reason, AFOA developed a
search tool to connect landowners with consulting
foresters in their area. Family forest owners can visit
ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting foresters by
county, a free service made possible by a grant from the
Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Trust.
###
AUG. 25, 2020
Consulting Foresters Are Good For Alabama Forests
Although we all need things like lumber and toilet
paper, few are aware that Alabama’s family-owned
forestland is a vital part of getting that TP out to
households. Approximately 70% of the state is forested,
of which 93% is owned by private landowners, according
to the Alabama Forestry Commission. Consulting foresters
like Jefferson County resident Joe Eiland help forest
owners manage their resources so land ownership remains
financially sustainable.
Eiland, owner of Eiland Forestry and Real Estate in
Trussville, has 40 years of experience that he puts to
work for private forest owners. All of that experience
was needed in 2011, after tornadoes wrecked huge tracts
of timber land. From salvage to damage appraisal, and
then replanting, Eiland’s services helped make it
possible for some of Alabama’s forests to keep
growing—and regrowing—in a healthy and sustainable way.
The Alabama Forest Owners’ Association (AFOA) considers
people like Joe Eiland key resources for the thousands
of private forest landowners in Alabama. For that
reason, AFOA developed a search tool to connect
landowners with consulting foresters in their area.
Family forest owners can visit ForesterSearch.com to
browse consulting foresters by county, a free service
made possible by a grant from the Bradley/Murphy
Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Trust.
###
AUG. 20, 2020
Consulting Foresters: Key to Successful Family Forests
Although we all need things like lumber and toilet
paper, few are aware that Alabama’s family-owned
forestland is a vital part of getting that TP out to
households. Approximately 70% of the state is forested,
of which 93% is owned by private landowners, according
to the Alabama Forestry Commission. Consulting foresters
like Brian Agnew of Bullock County help forest owners
manage their resources so land ownership remains
financially sustainable.
Agnew, owner of Southern Land Management, LLC, decided
to be a forester—working in and with the trees—when he
was young. He still loves his profession, and, he says,
“I’m really good at what I do.” He advises forest
landowners on the best ways to achieve their goals for
their forestland, whether that is recreation, wildlife
habitat for hunting, or growing trees for all those
vital commodities.
The Alabama Forest Owners’ Association (AFOA) considers
people like Brian Agnew key resources for the thousands
of private forest landowners in Alabama. For that
reason, AFOA developed a search tool to connect
landowners with consulting foresters in their area.
Family forest owners can visit ForesterSearch.com to
browse consulting foresters by county, a free service
made possible by a grant from the Bradley/Murphy
Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Trust.
###
JULY 16, 2020
Consulting Foresters: Key to Successful Family Forests
On Wednesday, July 15, consulting
forester Larry Gibson of Lanier Forest Resources led a
forestry field visit in Sumter County, Alabama. An
audience of about 20 forest landowners met outdoors for
a tour of private forestland owned by Gibson
Timberlands, LLC.
The tour looked at 22 and
26-year-old stands of loblolly pine and the results of
various management decisions, such as thinning and
burning, on the quality of trees. Gibson discussed
selection of trees for thinning, and forester Jason
Eaton demonstrated how they mark trees so that loggers
know which to cut in a thinning. Gibson also offered his
tips on controlling invasive plat species that can crowd
out native species. The day wrapped up with a visit to
an active logging site where attendees, from a distance,
got a firsthand look at the machinery that is used to
cut, trim, and stack timber.
Consulting foresters like Gibson
play a key role in helping keep Alabama beautiful—and
forested. For more information about the value of
consulting foresters to landowners, or to find a
consulting forester in your county, visit
www.forestersearch.com, an online directory
of consulting foresters in Alabama, made possible by a
grant from the Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural
Resources Extension Trust.
###
JUNE 5, 2020
Consulting Forester Shares Expertise with Local
Landowners
On Thursday, June 4, consulting forester
Bruce Lanier of McKinley and Lanier Forest Resources led
a forestry field visit in Carrollton, Alabama. An
audience of about 25 forest landowners met for a tour of
private forestland owned by the Bell-Yarbro family in
Pickens County.
The presentation touched on the current market
conditions, sustainable forestry certification, and
various ways McKinley and Lanier are adjusting to the
depressed market for pine pulpwood. Consulting foresters
advise landowners on a crop, trees, that will not be
harvested for twenty years or more, which gives the
market plenty of time to cook up surprises.
“I can’t offer you a silver bullet,” Lanier said, “but I
can tell you what we’re doing and what we’re trying.”
The presentation specifically focused on planting mixed
hardwood and pine forest, and ways to make that approach
work for the landowner.
The McKinley and Lanier team, which also included
co-founder Monty McKinley as well as Michael Hartley and
Chase White, answered questions at four different sites
chosen to highlight various forest management practices.
Consulting foresters like Lanier play a key role in
helping keep Alabama beautiful—and forested. For more
information about the value of consulting foresters to
landowners, or to find a consulting forester in your
county, visit www.forestersearch.com, an online
directory of consulting foresters in Alabama, made
possible by a grant from the Bradley/Murphy Forestry and
Natural Resources Extension Trust.
###
MAY 29, 2020
Consulting Foresters Are Good for Forests
Consulting forester
T.R. Clark is the regional manager at F & W
Forestry’s Lafayette, Alabama location, the global
forestry firm’s original location. “We're part of a
bigger company, but we operate like a local consultant
here.” Because of the company’s history in the area,
Clark said his office combines a small-town focus on
private landowners with the resources of a global
company.
“We have the ability to crunch numbers and show people
when they can max out their return or which genetics are
going to be the best for them,” Clark said. For
landowners who might sell timber only once or twice in a
lifetime, getting the most out of a harvest is
important.
We all enjoy the free services forests provide, such as
helping filter our air and water, but managing healthy
forestland isn’t free for landowners. Consulting
foresters like Clark help Alabama landowners manage
their resources so that land ownership remains
financially sustainable, and this keeps those forests
growing and re-growing across generations.
The Alabama Forest Owners Association (AFOA) developed a
search tool to connect landowners with consulting
foresters in their area. Family forest owners can visit
ForesterSearch.com
to browse consulting foresters by county, a free service
made possible by a grant from the Bradley/Murphy
Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Trust.
###
APR 20, 2020
Consulting Foresters: Key to Successful Family Forests
A lot of that toilet paper people have been hoarding
comes from Alabama forests as part of a $20 billion
forest products industry. Approximately 70% of the state
is forested, of which 93% is owned by private
landowners, according to the Alabama Forestry
Commission. Consulting foresters like David Corliss of
Corliss Land & Timber are a vital resource for forest
owners who grow, harvest, and replant timber.
Corliss, who seeks clients in Escambia County and
the surrounding area, is a registered forester and real
estate agent, and often spends summers helping clients
control destructive invasive plants like cogon grass or
popcorn tree. As a former timber buyer, he has insight
on how to help landowners navigate getting the best
price for their timber. Corliss and other consulting
foresters help Alabama forest owners manage their
resources to keep those forests growing and re-growing
across generations. Among other things, this also helps
keep TP on the shelves.
The Alabama Forest Owners Association (AFOA) developed a
search tool to connect landowners with consulting
foresters in their area. Family forest owners can visit
ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting foresters by
county, a free service made possible by a grant from the
Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Trust.
###
APR 9, 2020
Consulting Foresters Help Grow Alabama Trees
A lot of that toilet paper people have
been hoarding comes from Alabama forests as part of a
$20 billion forest products industry. Approximately 70%
of the state is forested, of which 93% is owned by
private landowners, according to the Alabama Forestry
Commission. Consulting foresters like Butler County
resident Richard Crenshaw are a vital resource for
forest owners who grow, harvest, and replant timber.
Crenshaw works with landowners from 20 acres to several
hundred, and likes the flexibility of working with
family forests. Being a one-man office comes with
challenges, but he likes the flexibility. “I can take
any job that I think I can help the person with,” he
said. He takes pride in knowing that he can drive down
the road and see a forest that he had a hand in shaping.
Crenshaw and other consulting foresters help private
landowners manage their resources so that land ownership
remains financially sustainable, and this keeps those
forests growing and re-growing across generations. Among
other things, this also helps keep TP on the shelves.
The Alabama Forest Owners Association (AFOA) developed a
search tool to connect landowners with consulting
foresters in their area. Family forest owners can visit
ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting foresters by
county, a free service made possible by a grant from the
Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Trust.
###
MAR 26, 2020
Consulting Foresters Key to Alabama Forest Industry
A lot of that toilet paper people are
hoarding comes from Alabama forests, of which 93% is
owned by private landowners, according to the Alabama
Forestry Commission. Consulting foresters like Dale
County resident Clinton Wilks are a vital resource
for forest owners who grow, harvest, and replant timber.
Wilks is a founding partner of M&W Forestry Consultants
in Ozark, Alabama. In Dale County, longleaf pine has a
large footprint among planted pine forests. M&W has
accumulated particular experience and expertise in
growing and managing longleaf pine, a native pine
species that grows unusually tall and straight—perfect
for poles—but requires prescribed fire to thrive and
needs extra care in planting and seedling stages. Their
guidance helps many clients grow robust stands of
longleaf.
Wilks and other consulting foresters help private
landowners manage their resources so that land ownership
remains financially sustainable, and this keeps those
forests growing and re-growing across generations. Among
other things, this also helps keep TP on the shelves.
The Alabama Forest Owners Association (AFOA) developed a
search tool to connect landowners with consulting
foresters in their area. Family forest owners can visit
ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting foresters by
county, a free service made possible by a grant from the
Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Trust.
###
MAR 20, 2020
Consulting Foresters: Key to Family Forests
In 2018, Alabama’s forest industry generated $16.3
billion and 41,600 jobs. Forests filter our air and
water, and host Alabama’s spectacular wildlife, but
owning and maintaining this land isn’t free for
landowners. Many families rely on consulting foresters
to help them make decisions that will keep their land
financially sustainable and forested.
Consulting foresters like Lauderdale County
resident Billy Rye help Alabama’s woodland owners
sustainably grow—and regrow—Alabama’s forests. As a
registered forester, Rye helps woodland owners in
Alabama and all over the mid-south region manage their
land and achieve highly personalized objectives for
their property. This might take the form of specific
forest management practices like prescribed fire or
timber harvests, helping manage hunting leases, or
simply keeping an eye on property for non-resident
landowners.
“I love helping people,” Rye said. “I love helping
people reach their objectives, and that’s the motivation
behind it all for me. That’s the passion that drives me
to do the best job possible for my clients.”
The Alabama Forest Owners’ Association (AFOA) considers
people like Billy Rye key resources for the thousands of
private forest landowners in Alabama. For that reason,
AFOA developed a search tool to connect landowners with
consulting foresters in their area. Visit
ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting foresters by
county, a free service made possible by a grant from the
Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Trust.
###
MAR 19, 2020
Consulting Foresters Preserve Alabama Forests
Coosa County residents Sara Baldwin, PhD and Doug
McConnell, PhD are the team at the helm of Forest Owner
Services. They are both consulting foresters, and as a
married couple, they’re a team in life as well as
business. They both earned degrees in forestry in the
1980s and began by managing family land, earning a
TREASURE Forest designation in 1987.
In addition to forest management and real estate
services, Forest Owner Services helps families plan for
the next generation, including plans to keep the land
intact. Their specialty is helping families achieve
multiple objectives for their land, such as recreational
trails along with timber production. Thinning slower
growing or a final harvest on forty acres can provide a
diversity of views for horseback riding, for example.
“It’s also far and away the best way to manage for
deer,” Baldwin says, because they get a variety of
browse conditions as stands of different ages grow.
Of Alabama’s 23 million acres of timberland, 93.5% is
privately owned. Forests filter our air and water, and
host Alabama’s spectacular wildlife, but owning and
maintaining this land isn’t free for landowners. Many
families rely on consulting foresters to help them make
decisions that will keep their land financially
sustainable and forested.
The Alabama Forest Owners’ Association (AFOA) considers
people like Baldwin and McConnell key resources for the
thousands of private forest landowners in Alabama. For
that reason, AFOA developed a search tool to connect
landowners with consulting foresters in their area.
Visit ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting foresters
by county, a free service made possible by a grant from
the Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resources
Extension Trust.
###
FEB 19, 2020
Consulting Foresters Help Maintain Family Forests
Madison County resident Colin Bagwell of Your Forester
has worked with Alabama landowners since 1966, and he
still enjoys helping landowners run a profitable timber
business through sound management principles. Of
Alabama’s 23 million acres of timberland, 93% is
privately owned. Forests filter our air and water, and
host Alabama’s spectacular wildlife, but owning and
maintaining this land isn’t free for family forest
owners. Many families rely on the work of consulting
foresters like Bagwell to keep their land forested and
financially sustainable.
Consulting foresters help private landowners manage
their resources for the next generation. They also work
to represent the interests of the landowners in large,
important transactions such as timber sales and
reforestation activities. A consulting forester who
knows how to navigate these events in the best interest
of the landowner can be the deciding factor that keeps
the family land in the family. “It’s rewarding to help
clients avoid a convenient but unwise path, such as
allowing a logger to do a select cut at his own
discretion, that would not advance the landowners’
goals,” Bagwell said. “I can help with that.”
The Alabama Forest Owners Association (AFOA) considers
people like Colin Bagwell key resources for the
thousands of private forest landowners in Alabama. For
that reason, AFOA developed a search tool to connect
landowners with consulting foresters in their area.
Family forest owners can visit ForesterSearch.com to
browse consulting foresters by county, a free service
made possible by a grant from the Bradley/Murphy
Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Trust.
###
FEB 8, 2020
Forestry Consultant Shares Expertise with Landowners
FAYETTE, Ala. On February 8, consulting forester Greg
West spoke to a group of 22 landowners about chainsaw
maintenance and safety. West, owner of West Forestlands,
is also a certified chainsaw instructor. The morning
began with a classroom session that covered safety gear,
saw chain filing, and guide bar maintenance. West
covered equipment and methods for maintaining the
sharpness and effectiveness of your chainsaw. The
classroom discussion also covered common hazards and
best practices.
After lunch at Lisa’s Barbecue, West took the classroom
outdoors on property owned by Gordon and Kim Ary. A
fallen tree gave a perfect example of the kinds of tasks
and risks landowners might face on their own property.
The tangle of limbs would have been tricky for even an
experienced chainsaw handler, but West demonstrated how
to reduce a potential safety hazard to manageable chunks
of firewood. The day wrapped up with bringing down a
leaning tree, which can be dangerous for inexperienced
sawyers.
While West has particular expertise in teaching chainsaw
safety, consulting foresters provide a broad range of
valuable services to private landowners. From more
profitable timber sales, to replanting, to wildlife and
recreation, consulting foresters help private landowners
manage their resources for the next generation.
The Alabama Forest Owners Association (AFOA) considers
people like West key resources for the thousands of
private forest landowners in Alabama. Family forest
owners can visit ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting
foresters by county, a free service made possible by a
grant from the Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural
Resources Extension Trust. Visit www.forestersearch.com
to contact West or find other foresters in your county.
###
JAN 14, 2020
Consulting Foresters Improve Forests and Wildlife
Alabama has the third highest number of forested acres
in the lower 48 states. Of that, 93% is privately owned.
Forests filter our air and water, and host Alabama’s
spectacular wildlife, but owning and maintaining this
land isn’t free for family forest owners. Many families
rely on the work of consulting foresters like
Montgomery-based Ted DeVos to help them keep their land
profitable and forested.
Ted DeVos is a Registered Forester, Wildlife Biologist
and, since 2003, Co-owner of Bach and DeVos Forestry and
Wildlife Services in Montgomery, Alabama. “Managing your
land and the timber is how to either make great or
marginal conditions for wildlife,” DeVos said. “You
can’t manage wildlife without managing timber.” His
specialty is helping landowners do both, earning income
from timber while helping increase the presence of
wildlife like deer, quail, or turkey. “It’s a little
different and more involved than straight timber
management, but I feel it helps landowners take their
property to the next level,” he said.
Consulting foresters help private landowners manage
their resources for the next generation. The Alabama
Forest Owners Association (AFOA) considers people like
Ted DeVos key resources for the thousands of private
forest landowners in Alabama. For that reason, AFOA
developed a search tool to connect landowners with
consulting foresters in their area. Family forest owners
can visit ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting
foresters by county, a free service made possible by a
grant from the Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural
Resources Extension Trust.
###
JAN 03, 2020
Find a Forester Search Tool for Landowners
In 2018, Alabama’s forest industry generated $16.3
billion and 41,600 jobs. Forests filter our air and
water free of charge, but maintaining healthy forests
isn’t free for forest landowners. Consulting foresters,
like Opelika-based Lehman Bass, help Alabama’s woodland
owners sustainably grow—and regrow—Alabama’s forests.
Bass is a Registered Forester (RF), an Alabama Certified
Forester (ACF), and a graduate of Auburn University’s
forestry program. After starting out in procurement with
Georgia Pacific after college and then starting his own
company, Green South Land & Timber, in the late 1990s,
Bass today works in practically every aspect of forest
management, from helping clients acquire or sell
timberland to harvesting and replanting. The newest
addition to the company is real estate services. “We
want to be able to offer everything the landowner could
need,” Bass said. “We make a point to offer it all.”
Consulting foresters help private landowners manage
their resources for the next generation. The Alabama
Forest Owners Association (AFOA) considers people like
Lehman Bass key resources for the thousands of private
forest landowners in Alabama. For that reason, AFOA
developed a search tool to connect landowners with
consulting foresters in their area. Family forest owners
can visit ForesterSearch.com to browse consulting
foresters by county, a free service made possible by a
grant from the Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural
Resources Extension Trust.
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